By https://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/38/MPW-19070, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3936149
Fast-Forward at Your Own Risk: What Filipinos Can Learn from Adam Sandler’s Click
When Click hit theaters in 2006, most people thought it was just another Adam Sandler comedy. But if you’ve watched it, you know—halfway through, it stops being funny. Suddenly, you’re confronted with a story about missed moments, misplaced priorities, and the one thing you can never get back: time.
Now that it’s on Netflix, a new wave of Filipinos is revisiting it—and the lessons feel even more relevant today, especially in a culture that often celebrates hustle more than presence.
1. Chasing “Later” Can Cost You Today
Michael Newman’s plan is familiar to many of us: work hard now, enjoy life later. The problem? Later keeps moving. Research from Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert shows that humans tend to overestimate future happiness from career success, while underestimating the joy of present experiences (Gilbert, D., Harvard University, 2006).
💡 Lesson: Don’t postpone joy for an imaginary “better time.”
📘 Recommended read: The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor — it’s a science-backed look at why success follows happiness, not the other way around.
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2. Skipping the Hard Parts Means Skipping the Growth
In the movie, the remote learns Michael’s preferences—skipping arguments, sickness, and anything unpleasant. But in life, those moments shape resilience.
A University of California study found that people who embrace challenges and discomfort report higher life satisfaction than those who avoid them (Smith et al., UC Berkeley, 2013).
💡 Lesson: Hard moments are often the ones that make you better.
📝 Try using a mindfulness journal to process difficult days instead of wishing them away.
3. Relationships Are the Real Wealth
Michael’s biggest regret isn’t losing money or status—it’s losing connection with loved ones.
In the longest-running Harvard Study of Adult Development, spanning over 80 years, researchers concluded that strong relationships are the clearest predictor of happiness and health (Harvard Gazette, 2017).
💡 Lesson: Invest in people, not just paychecks.
💌 Start small: send handwritten letters using a beautiful stationery set to reconnect with loved ones.
4. Health Can’t Be Put on Pause
One of the film’s most sobering moments is when Michael fast-forwards through illness, only to realize he’s lost years.
In the Philippines, the Department of Health has repeatedly urged early prevention and regular check-ups, noting that many lifestyle diseases (like hypertension) are manageable if detected early (DOH, 2023).
💡 Lesson: Your body needs attention before it demands it.
🏃 Keep active at home with a simple resistance band set.
5. The Best Moments Are in the “Ordinary”
A study by Kumar & Gilovich (Cornell University, 2014) found that people find more lasting happiness in experiences over material possessions—and often, those experiences are simple, everyday moments.
💡 Lesson: Don’t overlook the small joys.
📷 Preserve them: start a family memory photo book and fill it with the laughter, not just the milestones.
Final Thought
Click is funny—until it isn’t. And maybe that’s the point.
It’s a mirror to our “I’ll enjoy later” mentality, which many Filipinos carry, especially OFWs, breadwinners, and ambitious young professionals. But life doesn’t wait for us to finish the grind before it passes by.
Slow down. Savor the moment. Because unlike a remote, life doesn’t come with a rewind button.